In recent years, densification in the device structures of electric devices or electronic devices has been progressed, while various kinds of functions are required for electric devices or electronic devices. Thus, the electric circuits and electronic circuits to be incorporated into the electric devices or the electronic devices have become complex. There are many cases in which two circuit boards are connected to each other or a function module is connected to a circuit board.
When connecting two circuit boards or connecting a function module to a circuit board, usually, a multi-pin connector having many pins is used. Generally, the multi-pin connector includes a plug and a jack (socket) so that the plug is fitted into the jack to achieve a mechanical connection and an electrical connection.
The multi-pin connector has directivity with respect to fitting of the plug and jack in many cases. The directivity in insertion and removal of the connector is determined by a direction of arrangement of the pins provided in the plug. For example, according to the connector having a directivity, the plug can be connected to the jack while slightly inclining the plug within a plane containing an extending direction of the pins and an aligning direction of the pins, but it is not desirable to connect the plug to the jack while inclining the plug in a direction other than the aforementioned direction. If an attempt is made to connect the plug to the jack while inclining the plug in a direction other than the direction within a plane containing extending direction of the pins and aligning direction of the pins, an excessive force may be applied to the pins, which may cause the pins to be bent or damaged.
Many connectors for connecting two circuit boards or connecting a functional module to a circuit board are mount-type connectors. Moreover, many mount-type connectors have a low height, which is referred to as a low-back type. That is, by using a connector having a low height, a distance between circuit boards connected to each other or a distance between a module and a board is reduced in order to increase a package density.
However, if the low-back type connector is used, there is a problem in that it is difficult to visually recognize the connector when connecting the connector. For example, if the connector is arranged in a middle portion of the circuit bard, the plug and the jack of the connector may be hidden in a position deep inside the space between the two circuit boards, which prevents the plug and the jack from being visually recognized easily. For this reason, the plug cannot be well-positioned relative to the jack, and there also may be a case where the plug cannot be connected according to the directivity of the connector. Similarly, in a case where a module is connected to a circuit board, the connector may be hidden in a space between the module and the circuit board, which prevents the plug and the jack from being visually recognized easily.
Thus, it is suggested in a Patent Document 1, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H4-26084, to arrange a plug position correction tool around a jack to automatically guide the plug to a connecting position. The plug position connection tool is a member extending from a periphery of the jack toward a tip of the jack. The plug position correction tool is configured to have a structure in which a tip portion of the plug is first brought into contact with the plug position correction tool, and, then, the plug is guided to a position at which the plug is connected to the jack while the plug is slid along the plug position correction tool.
The plug position correction tool disclosed in the Patent Document 1 is capable of correcting the position in a range where the plug is very close to the jack, however, it cannot guides the plug to the position where the plug is very close to the jack (that is, to a position where a tip of the plug is brought into contact with the plug position correction tool). Thus, it is necessary to perform a connecting operation while visually recognizing the plug and the jack until the tip of the plug contacts the plug position correction tool. Accordingly, the problem that it is difficult to visually recognize the connector when connecting the connector still remains.
Moreover, the plug position correction tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 merely guide the plug to an accurate position, and the directivity of the connector is not taken into consideration. That is, because the plug position correction tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot guide the plug along the connecting direction of the connector, there may be a case where an attempt is made to connect the plug to the jack in a wrong direction.